Electrical valve.



W. D RALPHS.

ELECTRICAL VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.8. 1916.

1,243,219 Patented 00t.16,1917.

lge. 28E" .1.

s cf D. BLPHS, 0F PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

-EnncrnIcAL VALVE.

messie.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 6, 1917.

Application mea April s, 191e. 'serial No. 90,015.

i light, compact valve of this type that ,is simple in construction and easily installed, and one in which liability of leakage is minimized upon shutting'oi a iow of fluid.

' Another object is the provision of automatic indicator means electrically connected with the valve to show whether the same.

` close communication therethrough.

'especial I A feature of the invention is the ready withdrawal of the plunger valve from its seat for cleaningor inspection purposes.

In th form herein presented the valve is ly well adapted for use in connection with controlling asupplyof gas to a furnace,

said yalve being bperated through magnetic means actuated in the instance shown by an electric switch positioned in a room of the house above said furnace.

- v, I donot contemplate limiting myself to the- The valve may be used in connection with varlous flulds as gas, waterfair or oil, and

specific form ofconstruction herein -\shown and described.

-'llhe accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. i

Figure 1 is an electrical diagram showing a` valve and its electrical operatingponnections yas embodied by this invention. *s

Figs. 2, 4 and 5, showing the valve in shuto position.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section at right angles lto that of Fig. 8 on line Figs. 2, 3 60 and 5, showing the valve in openposition.

Fig. 5 is a transversesection through theu valve passage-way on line m5, Figs. 3 and 4, the valve being in open position correspond- Y ing to Fig. 4.

Arrows on the various section lines indi-v -cate the direction of sight In the embodiment .shown lthe straight way valve casing or barrel 1 is provided with a mid-body portion 2 having a cylin- 70 drical valve seat 3. that is axially arranged and opens into end chambers 4, 5, positioned one upon each side of he body portion 2.

' Oppositely-arranged ports .6 extend from Said valve seat 3 to sockets 7 into which are 75 screwed pipes 8, 9, that constitute the inlet and outlet to and from the. valve respectively, said ports 6 forming a transverse passage-way through the valve. In the seat 3 is. mounted acylindrical plungervalve 10 80 that is reciprocable therein and adapted toA move across the passage-way to open and close communication therethrough, said valve being preferablyprovidedyvith a midport 11 thatmay be Avariously formed. In 85 the present instance said port yconsists of a gap formed by reducing the plunger body to a spindle portion 12pf'smal1er cross-section than ,the plunger body, said gap being of a width corresponding to fthe ports 6. When the plunger' valve is in position with its port 11 in register withltlreports 6 as shown` in Fig. 4 communication through the valve and around .the spindle 12 is established and when the port 1l is moved out of e5 register with the ports 6, as shown in Fig.

3, communication through the valve is blocked or shut oil'.

The ends of said valve, when in position A in its seat 3, extend into the respective chamvbers 4, 5, and magnetic coils 13, 13 are posiltioned in said chambers vto alternately act upon said plunger valve as an larmatllre and thus reciprocatethe same in the seat 3 to open and close communication. through the 16B transverse passage-way 6. Said coils 13,13

are independent of y each other and adapted to be separately energized to attract and move the plunger and are preferably in the form of solenoids that are inserted into their n@ respective chambers 4, 5, through the open ends thereof. The solenoids are each provided with an inner 4barrel 14'whic/h barrels 'l orifice 17 throughwhich anv extension stem 18on the plunger extends,saidstem having together with the valve seat"3 form a way for the plunger toplay back and forth in.

Caps 15, 16 are screwed into the open ends of the chambers 4, 5, respectively, to inclose the coils aswell as the plunger valve 10, and vthe cap 16 is provided with a central ister with'the passage-way 6'. A' shoulder 22 a of the Qplunger valve is adapted to abut against' the inner face of the cap 16-'when the valve' is moved bythe solenoid r13 into (shut-oli position, said adjustable .stop 21 together -with y'the shoulder 22 serving as stop means to limit the elosing'movement of 245 Athe plunger. By adjusting thestop 21 the valve may be setto open more or less so as tov regulate the-flow through the valve.

For purposes of illustration the valve may be considered as applied to a gas line 8, 9, of avfurnace (not shown)A and the solenoids 13, 13 are electrically connected with a switch 23 that may bejlocated at any accessibl'e place, distant fro'mcthe valve, to operate vthe same.

In Fig. 2 the switch 23'is shownl positioned in the wall of a room R to .operate the valve, as inv theicase ofcontrolling a flow of gasto a furnace in abasement helow," Said switch may be of any well known construction and is preferably of a momentary contact type having a switch-button 24 to momentarily energizethe solenoid 13 and thus move the plunger to open'communica- .tion through the valve, togetherwith a' switch-button 24 to momentarily energizev j the solenoid 13 and-thu'smove the plunger tov shutoii communication through the valve.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it is seen v that the solenoid 13 is connected with a suitable source of electrical energy, as battery k, through switch-button 24 and leads a, b, and 0 the wire terminals t, in Figs. 2,

3 and 4, v'connecting said leads with the solenoid 13 through binding posts as 25, 26- that are suitably mounted upon the casing" 1 near the openend of the chamber 4.- The soleelectrical energy through: and: leads a', b and c noid 13 -is connected with said'slource of switch-button 24 wire terminals t connecting saidleads with the solenoid 13 through binding posts as 27, 26;

It is very essential to the'l successfulopiera-` l tion of-'the valve that indicator means be provided in order to know at any time whether the valve is-open or closed and. ac-

cordingly an important feature of this invention is the provision Ofan-v automatic indicator, such as an electric-:la7 'p 28 positioned adjacent the controlling"u switch 23 and connected with the valve to automatically 'light when said valve is either opened or closed, as desired. Said lampv is connected through circuit and a source of electric energy, as battery lc, with a circuit breaker 30 arranged within the chamber 4 of the valve and adapted to co-act with the plunger valve 10 to complete the electrical circuit and light the indicator lamp whenever the valve is opened.

Said circuit breaker in the instance shown comprises oppositely'- arranged contact prongs 31 positio ed= at the open end of the chamber 4 and adjacent the end of the plunger valve, said prongs being mounted uponbinding posts-26, 32 that are insulated from the valve barrel 1 in the usual manner. The prongs extend into the path of a'con tactti 33 which is suitably mounted in an insu ated bushing 34 that may be screwed ontothe plunger end, as shown in Fig. 4. The arrangement of the circuit breaker and plunger valve, in the" instance shown, .is such that when the plunger is moved inits seat 3 to open the passage-way 6 the tip 33 slides4 between the contact prongs 31 and completes the circuit toothe indicator lamp. 28, thus lightin the same. Said lamp remainslighted unt1 the plunger valve is moved to close the passage-wa when the tip '33 vwill be Withdrawn from etween the prongs, breaking the circuit and automatically ing ofi the light in the indicator lamp. `Access is readily afforded to either ofthe valve chambers 4, 5 by removing the separate end caps 15 and 16,'in the one instance for. inspection or adjustment of the circuit breaker 30, and in theA other instance for removal of the plunger valve from its seatI 3 toelean or oil 4the same. The plunger valve 10 and its seat are supplied with a surturnrounding oil lm which serves the double purpose of lubricating as well as preventing leakage between the valve and seat.

From the foregoing-it is obvious that the valve ma be opened to admit a iiowtherethrough y pushing the switch push-button 24 in theroom R, corresponding to switchlbutton 24 in Fig. 1, and energizing the sole# noid 13. Said valve 4may be closed to shut oli' the flow by pushing the switch push'- button 24', correspondin to switch button 24 in Fig. 1, and energlzing the solenoid 13'; the1ndicator light 28, adjacent i the switch 23, being automatically operated to indicate the open or closed positlon of the 1. A valve casing having oppositely a1'- ranged pipe sockets and a port connecting the sockets, and having a valve seat crossand open the port, solenoids in said chambers for reciprocating the plunger, a circuitl breaker in one of said chambers outside of the solenoid and operated by the plunger, a cap for closing the chamber outside of the solenoid, a second cap for closingl the other chamber, and a stem extending from the plunger through the'second cap for manually operating the valve.

. 2. A. valve casing having oppositely arranged'pipe sockets and a port connecting the sockets, and having a valve seatJ cross- Wise of the port and chambers at the ends 'of the valve seat, a straight cylindrical plungermounted to reciprocate through the valve seat and close the port and provided with a mid-cross-passage to register With and open the port, solenoids in said chambers for reciprocating the plunger, a circuit breaker-1in one of said chambers outside of the solenoid and operated by the plunger, a cap for closing the chamber outside of the solenoid, a second cap for closing the other chamber, a stem extending from the plunger through the second cap Jfor manually operating the valve, and an adjustable stop upon the stem to regulate the flow.

' 3. A valve casing having oppositely arranged pipe sockets and a port 'connecting the sockets, and having a valve seat `crosswise of the port and chambers at the ends of the valve seat, a straight cylindrical plunge]l mounted vto reciprocate through the valve` seat and close the port and provided With a mid-cross-passage to register with and open the port, solenoids inlsaid chambers for reciprocating the plunger, a circuit breaker in one of sald chambers outsideof the solenoid and operated by the plunger, a

plunger throughthe second ca'p for manually` operating the valve.

Intestimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 31st day of March, 1916.

v WLLIAM D. RALPHS. `WitnesszI l JAMES R. ToWNsEND. 

